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Author Topic: London Pride Clone Beer  (Read 16766 times)

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: London Pride Clone Beer
« Reply #15 on: April 11, 2020, 01:58:40 pm »
There's no need to speculate, there's no dark crystal or sugar in the current Fuller's partigyle, they've tweeted a photo of their actual brewbook :
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/fullers-recipes-for-esb-pride-chiswick-imperials-neipa-from-the-horses-mouth.642756/

Burtonise, 7.2% light crystal, splash of chocolate malt and you're good to go. Later in that thread someone has worked out a detailed recipe for ESB, which he claims is close.

As always with British recipes yeast is crucial. WLP002 and 1968 don't have the typical marmalade character of the real Fuller's yeast, apparently Imperial Pub does - or harvest it from bottles of 1845 or IPA/Lancer.

It's not often that you get to compare the actual recipe with other sources that attempt to clone the beer - it's a good test to compare how close your favourite source of clone recipes is.

I've been making ESB and London Pride for a couple of years now. The recipe I used comes from an interview I heard with John Keeling who at the time was the head brewer at Fullers. It differs slightly from the brew log sheet posted in the Twitter posts shared on Homebrewtalk.com but the recipe has evolved and changed over time. Either that or John wasn't telling the interviewer the full truth.  ;)

Mr. Keeling stated: 95% pale ale malt and 5% crystal 150. Without re-reading the HBT thread again I believe the hops were the same... Target for bittering, and late additions of Northdown, Challenger (and Golding for dry hopping in ESB). He said 80% of the bitterness comes from the Target and the remaining 20% from the late additions. According to the interview ESB was around 43 IBU and LP 31 IBU.

I've been brewing it this way ever since I heard that interview several years ago but my most recent version, in the fermenter right now, uses the grist from the HBT forum which adds just a bit of chocolate malt. Can't wait to see how it differs.

I'm scouring the notes I made during the interview trying to find out what yeast he said but either he didn't or I didn't write it down. Like Northern_Brewer said I've been using Imperial Pub A09 with good results.

The guy doing the interview was Neil Spake.  Got to know him judging NHC in Austin, he ran first round when it was there. Talking at ABGB  year or two later he said some thing about the interview. I said that was you? It was.
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Offline Northern_Brewer

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Re: London Pride Clone Beer
« Reply #16 on: April 12, 2020, 04:33:44 am »
The recipe I used comes from an interview I heard with John Keeling who at the time was the head brewer at Fullers. It differs slightly from the brew log sheet posted in the Twitter posts shared on Homebrewtalk.com but the recipe has evolved and changed over time. Either that or John wasn't telling the interviewer the full truth.  ;)...

I'm scouring the notes I made during the interview trying to find out what yeast he said but either he didn't or I didn't write it down. Like Northern_Brewer said I've been using Imperial Pub A09 with good results.

Nah, John's a Mancunian, he tells you it straight. But recipes evolve, depending on the availability of ingredients, fashion, and changing tastes - don't forget the ultimate aim is to sell as much beer as possible, and there's been a general move away from the really cloying, crystal-heavy styles of late. Back when they were winning lots of big prizes in the 80s there were a bunch of adjuncts - in that HBT thread is the recipe for their recreation of John's first partigyle to give you a comparison - having had the recreation of the 80s one against the current version, it's better now.

Of course he didn't need to say what yeast they use - like any traditional brewery they have a house strain (which is used to bottle-condition 1845 and IPA/Lancer if you want to harvest it)

Offline fredthecat

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Re: London Pride Clone Beer
« Reply #17 on: April 23, 2021, 01:29:20 pm »
There's no need to speculate, there's no dark crystal or sugar in the current Fuller's partigyle, they've tweeted a photo of their actual brewbook :
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/fullers-recipes-for-esb-pride-chiswick-imperials-neipa-from-the-horses-mouth.642756/

Burtonise, 7.2% light crystal, splash of chocolate malt and you're good to go. Later in that thread someone has worked out a detailed recipe for ESB, which he claims is close.

As always with British recipes yeast is crucial. WLP002 and 1968 don't have the typical marmalade character of the real Fuller's yeast, apparently Imperial Pub does - or harvest it from bottles of 1845 or IPA/Lancer.

It's not often that you get to compare the actual recipe with other sources that attempt to clone the beer - it's a good test to compare how close your favourite source of clone recipes is.

I've been making ESB and London Pride for a couple of years now. The recipe I used comes from an interview I heard with John Keeling who at the time was the head brewer at Fullers. It differs slightly from the brew log sheet posted in the Twitter posts shared on Homebrewtalk.com but the recipe has evolved and changed over time. Either that or John wasn't telling the interviewer the full truth.  ;)

Mr. Keeling stated: 95% pale ale malt and 5% crystal 150. Without re-reading the HBT thread again I believe the hops were the same... Target for bittering, and late additions of Northdown, Challenger (and Golding for dry hopping in ESB). He said 80% of the bitterness comes from the Target and the remaining 20% from the late additions. According to the interview ESB was around 43 IBU and LP 31 IBU.

I've been brewing it this way ever since I heard that interview several years ago but my most recent version, in the fermenter right now, uses the grist from the HBT forum which adds just a bit of chocolate malt. Can't wait to see how it differs.

I'm scouring the notes I made during the interview trying to find out what yeast he said but either he didn't or I didn't write it down. Like Northern_Brewer said I've been using Imperial Pub A09 with good results.


im looking to dial in my english standard bitters in the future.

any consensus on the crystal colour?

i always had in my mind -small amount of high LOV crystal (120+) and to add sweet flavours but keep it dry.

the actual fullers recipe photo though says "LIGHT CRYSTAL" specifically.


interesting, any preferences? im thinking im going to follow the recipe, as ive had bad experiences with higher lovibond crystal more than good to be honest.

Online BrewBama

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Re: London Pride Clone Beer
« Reply #18 on: April 23, 2021, 01:43:32 pm »
Whenever I see ‘light crystal’ in a British recipe, I consider it ~40 SRM.  I am sure that varies from maltster to maltster but it tends to work out.



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Offline fredthecat

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Re: London Pride Clone Beer
« Reply #19 on: April 23, 2021, 02:14:22 pm »
Whenever I see ‘light crystal’ in a British recipe, I consider it ~40 SRM.  I am sure that varies from maltster to maltster but it tends to work out.



yup, but its still a big step away from 120 or 150 lovibond crystal

Offline ahancbrew1

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Re: London Pride Clone Beer
« Reply #20 on: June 17, 2021, 07:14:07 am »
 I'm planning on using Imperial Pub A09, when I brew my next attempt at London Pride and ESB. The yeast recommends doing a Diacetyl rest. I'm looking for that marmalade taste. Would the diacetyl rest help or hurt this.

Offline tommymorris

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Re: London Pride Clone Beer
« Reply #21 on: June 17, 2021, 08:49:19 am »
I'm planning on using Imperial Pub A09, when I brew my next attempt at London Pride and ESB. The yeast recommends doing a Diacetyl rest. I'm looking for that marmalade taste. Would the diacetyl rest help or hurt this.
That yeast ferments fast and then flocculates even faster. You need to leave it in the fermenter on the yeast for 3-4 days after flocculation even though it looks done so the yeast can clean up the diacetyl. If you need to know what diacetyl tastes like, taste the beer the day the krausen drops. In my experience it’s always buttery then. But a few days later that flavor is totally gone. No need to raise the temp. It’s already warm enough if you are fermenting in the mid 60’s Fahrenheit range.

Regarding the marmalade: I can’t see waiting hurting that flavor.

PS. I leave mine in the fermenter 10-14 days usually.

Offline ahancbrew1

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Re: London Pride Clone Beer
« Reply #22 on: June 19, 2021, 03:00:00 am »
I'm planning on using Imperial Pub A09, when I brew my next attempt at London Pride and ESB. The yeast recommends doing a Diacetyl rest. I'm looking for that marmalade taste. Would the diacetyl rest help or hurt this.
That yeast ferments fast and then flocculates even faster. You need to leave it in the fermenter on the yeast for 3-4 days after flocculation even though it looks done so the yeast can clean up the diacetyl. If you need to know what diacetyl tastes like, taste the beer the day the krausen drops. In my experience it’s always buttery then. But a few days later that flavor is totally gone. No need to raise the temp. It’s already warm enough if you are fermenting in the mid 60’s Fahrenheit range.

Regarding the marmalade: I can’t see waiting hurting that flavor.

PS. I leave mine in the fermenter 10-14 days usually.

thanks